USD Women's Basketball 2001-2002

Wesi: Coasi; Conferenee

When the West Coast Conference got its start back in 1952, the founders really had only one goal in mind - to create a convenient way for five Bay Area schools to play basketball. What has grown from that original vision 46 years ago is a marvelous cohesive athletics league which is com– petitive at the national level in 13 sports. The eight current members of the WCC span the Western United States from Canada to Mexico. Though the

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institutions range from the pine forests of the Northwest to the sun-drenched beaches of Southern California, the com– bined excellence in athletics and academics sets the confer– ence apart on the national scene and draws the individual institutions together in a common mission. The WCC sponsors championships in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross-country, men's and women's golf, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis and women's volleyball. The league was chartered by five Bay Area insti– tutions (Pacific, Saint Mary's, San Francisco, San Jose State and Santa Clara) as the California Basketball Association, playing its first game on January 2, 1953. After two seasons of play under that name, the conference expanded to in– clude Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine in 1955, and be– came the "West Coast Athletic Conference" in 1956. The name was shortened to "West Coast Conference" in 1989. The current alignment of Gonzaga , Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Portland, Saint Mary's, San Diego, San Fran– cisco and Santa Clara has remained unchanged since 1979, making the WCC the third most stable conference in the nation. Only the Ivy League and Pacific-! 0 have been to– gether longer. The 2001-2002 season marks the 15th year for the WCC's women's basketball league , one of the most improved in the nation. The West Coast Conference started the Millenium off with a bang, doing one better than in 1999- 2000. For the second consecutive season and just the fourth time in league history four teams advanced to the post-sea– son. Post-season participants included Loyoala Marymount, Pepperdine, Saint Mary's and Santa Clara. St. Mary's received a bid to the NCAA Tournament and played into the second round, losing to the #1 seeded Tennessee Volunteers. Four teams , Pepperdine, Saint Mary's, Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount won at least 20 games. In addition to Saint Mary's run in the NCAA's, Pepperdine, Santa Clara and Loyola Marymount all received bids to the WNIT. WCC women's basketball began with seven teams, including Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, San Diego, San Francisco and Santa Clara. In 1987, Nevada and U.S. Interna– tional left the WCC, replaced by Gonzaga, Portland and Saint Mary's.

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Overall

School

26-6 20-8

11-3 11-3 10-4 10-4

Saint Mary's# Santa Clara!

2 1-1 0 20-11 13-1 6 10- 16 14- 15

Loyola Marymount!

Pepperdine ! San Francisco

5-9 5-9

San Diego

4-1 0 0- 14

Portland Gonzaga

5-23

!NWIT Toumame11t

#NCAA To11mame11t

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Coach of the Year:

Juli e Wil hoit, LMU

Player of the Year: Freshman of the Year: Defender of the Year

Jermi sha Dosty, St. Mary 's Corrie Mizusawa, St. Mary 's Nesha Thomas, Pepperd ine

Name

School

Year Pos. Ht.

5-11 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-2 5-1 0

Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr.

Amber Jansen Bryn Bri tton Jerkisha Dosty Jermi sha Dosty Annie Garri son

San Diego

F

LMU

G F F C G

St. Mary 's St. Mary 's Santa C lara

So.

Damaris Hinoj osa Pepperdine

G/ F 5-1 0

Jr.

Jess ica Ma lone Taryn Reynolds

Gonzaga

5-7

Sr. Sr. Sr.

LMU

G

G/ F 5-11

Sharon Ri ssmill er Portl and

6-4

Kim Whi sler

USF

C